Help to get the cheeks flush to the body

[MarkAndrew1]

I sanded so much material off in this area that it's penetrating
the wood fibers of the neck block. I don't think I can correct that....

Do you mean the tenon is hitting the bottom of the mortise? If so with that stewmac neck with the bolts sticking out of the tenon you might need to deepen the mortise a bit when you correct the angle; you might get away with taking a little of the back bottom of the back of the tenon. The little gap you created on the fret board side really will not be an issue.

Hi John,

No, I mean the area where the heel of the neck almost meets
the back of guitar. I sanded so deeply there that i went right
into the neck block. I didn't realize (or listen) because I was
trying to get the body to be 90deg's. Ken just informed me in
this thread that it should be more like 87.5deg's. So, because
i sanded so deeply into the block I'm having trouble establishing
the correct angle.

On Tim's advice I may try to floss the heel a bit to get the neck to
tilt back enough to get the angle closer to achieve low action.

[mike-p]

I am a beginner here but i can reiterate Ken's regular advice to me; slow down and read and absorb the instructions, don't do anything until you fully understand the aims and objectives, have you read Ken's excellent article on the neck angle? It helps me to print a physical copy of the more complicated procedures as i find i can read and absorb them more easily.

I'm pretty sure you shouldn't alter the neck angle by sanding the neck block area as the FB won't be flat on the SB but the guys who know what they are talking about will give you proper advice.

[ken cierp]

The KMG instructions are pointing out the need to get the body smooth and flat where the neck cheeks contact the body -- just a touch up procedure.

[Tim Benware]

The KMG instructions are pointing out the need to get the body smooth and flat where the neck cheeks contact the body -- just a touch up procedure.

Not sure what Ken's instructions are on this point but I place the neck into the mortise and put a pencil line to outline the side of the neck cheeks on the body and then with a sanding bar, lightly sand that area until the lines are gone. It doesn't take aggressive sanding. That will leave that area flat for a nice fit.

[MarkAndrew1]

i think my issue was that I was reading Ken's article closely (as I normally do) but
on one part of the article it mentions sanding the neck block are to 90 deg's and then
on another part it said 91.3 deg's. So, I got confused and tried to get the angle at
91.3 deg's then backtracked and decided it really needed to be at 90 deg's. Meanwhile,
all this sanding is wearing away the body.

Then I find out yesterday that the angle should be more like 87.5 deg's.

I understood the idea of getting that area flat and smooth but when it came
to the angle that's where I became confused. Anyway, to get the angle closer
to the 87.5 deg's I started to floss the heel and that's getting the angle closer.
The cheeks have also gotten closer to the body; not perfect yet but closer.

When I use the fretboard simulator it's also getting closer to laying flat as I sand
the area on the top (not fretboard) where the tenon meets the mortoise.

[ken cierp]

88.5 Degrees

I agree with Mike re-read all the stuff shown and explained here

http://kennethmichaelguitars.com/neckangle.html

Don't do anything more until you understand where the processes are going to take you. Ask questions if need be to get the concepts clear -- all the procedures require action related to cause and effect.

Show us pictures of the joint with the neck bolted in place with the simulator also securely clamped. This is not about specific angles but totally about making the fingerboard plane and the sound board extension area form a straight line

[MarkAndrew1]

88.5 Degrees

I agree with Mike re-read all the stuff shown and explained here

http://kennethmichaelguitars.com/neckangle.html

Don't do anything more until you understand where the processes are going to take you. Ask questions if need be to get the concepts clear -- all the procedures require action related to cause and effect.

Show us pictures of the joint with the neck bolted in place with the simulator also securely clamped. This is not about specific angles but totally about making the fingerboard plane and the sound board extension area form a straight line

Right 88.5 degrees...My bad.

So, Ken in your neck article, the reference to having the body at a 90 deg angle; what does that
exactly mean? I get that the area needs to be flat and smooth but is the angle formed by the top
and side supposed to be 88.5 degrees?

I will take pics tonight and show you where I am. I'm very close with the simulator being flat so
I think it will happen. Thank you for the help!